The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 28, 2024

The Protest

The Protest

1893
(Swiss French, 1865–1925)
Sheet: 22.9 x 33.5 cm (9 x 13 3/16 in.); Image: 20.4 x 31.9 cm (8 1/16 x 12 9/16 in.); Secondary Support: 37.6 x 58.1 cm (14 13/16 x 22 7/8 in.)
Catalogue raisonné: Vallotton and Georg 110; Stein and Karsham 87
Location: not on view

Description

Inspired by the flat space, tipped perspective, and use of pattern in Japanese color woodcuts, Vallotton exploited the contrast of rich black ink and the white of the paper for a dynamic image of a mass of figures surging forward as the police break up a political demonstration. Vallatton frequently focused on social issues, especially during the 1890s when street riots were common in Paris. The blankness of the lower-right corner of the print—fully one-third of its surface area—is a bold and original concept. As a terrified crowd rushes away from the authorities, Vallotton mitigated criticism of police violence with comic touches: the man who pauses to try to grab his top hat or the corpulent waddle of the figure with an umbrella. Many would imitate his woodcut style, but few could approach the sophistication of his artistic vision.
  • Against the Grain: Woodcuts from the Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 17-November 9, 2003).
    From Rembrandt to Rauschenberg: Recently Acquired Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 17-November 26, 2000).
  • {{cite web|title=The Protest|url=false|author=Félix Vallotton|year=1893|access-date=28 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1999.323